One Shot: Loth-Cat
by EvilMindedZ
Summary: It's a normal day for Ezra until he gets sent out to the market with Zeb and they take things too far.
*****Yes this is the second One-shot in as many days! Just shoot me requests I'm happy to oblige! Hope you enjoy!*****

"There's no crime in being helped." Kanan said, extending his hand to his padawan, who was still looking sullenly up at him.

 _Even if it were I wouldn't care._ The boy thought through the Force, causing Kanan to laugh and give his hand a shake. _Come on already._

Ezra shook his head and extended his own arm, letting his master grasp it. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. You want to know how often I was on the ground with my old master?"

"How often?"

Kanan grinned. "Often. More than you."

"I guess." Now fully on his feet, Ezra let go of his master's arm.

"I'm gonna try something a little different. You need more practice with the Force, so put the saber away."  
"Wait, what? What are you doing?"

"Sometimes in a battle you're not going to have your saber or blaster at the ready, sometimes things just happen, so you have to use the Force." Kanan picked up a stone from the ground, looking at Ezra and nodding, before lobbing it underhand at him.

Ezra focused on it. _One with the Force…!_ He shouted at himself, attempting to enter into it. He did, but it was a second too late.

"Ow!" Ezra yelled, clutching his arm.

"That didn't hurt _that_ bad."

"It still hurt!"

"You were ready! I felt you were ready, you just didn't enter the Force in time!"

"Well I tried!"

"But you didn't _do._ " Kanan added with a half smile.

Ezra made a face at him and chucked the hunk of rock at his master. The rock didn't get closer than three inches from his face before rebounding like a boom-a-rang, sending it back at Ezra's face. Without a saber to protect himself, he cringed away out of reflex, crossing his arms over his face.

Kanan dropped the stone in front of the boy's feet. "I wouldn't hurt you, Ezra. I was just trying to make you prepared."

Ezra shook his head and opened his mouth to respond, but before he could Zeb walked out of the ship. "Pipsqueak! Hera says we're supposed to get supplies in town."

"Fine, I was done here anyway."

"Ezra." It was Kanan that spoke.

"Yeah?"

"Throw it at me, one free shot. You've earned it."

Ezra stooped to pick it up.

"With the Force." Kanan's voice was flat, pitched with amusement, his lips curling at the edges.

 _I'm going to regret this._ He thought as it began to levitate. In self defense, he put his hands to his face.

He was unprepared for the pain in his groin.

"I'll see you later, master." Ezra said, walking off.

Kanan gave a breathless wave, doubled over with a grimace.

When Zeb and Ezra got into the market, the Lasat turned to him. "If I did that to him he'd kill me."

A smile played on Ezra's lips. "I'm his padawan and he _did_ say one free shot."

"You could have made it hit his head."

"Even if he wasn't protecting his skull, do you think I have a death wish? Hera would kill me."

"She'll probably kill you when we get back to the ship anyway."

"No, she'll just send me in the ventilation shafts. I usually just sleep in there anyway."

"You know I'm going to tell her that, right?"

"Wait, what!"

Zeb laughed. "I'll use that when it's appropriate."  
"Wait, are you _blackmailing_ me Zeb!"

"No, I'm just saying I have a way to get Hera to be mad at you instead of me, or a way to get out of my chores if I'm really not into it."

"And I'm just saying that _is_ blackmail!"

"Well you shouldn't have told me!" Zeb laughed as he walked off.

"Well I'll never let you use it."

"Sorry kid, you can't use your mind tricks yet! Haven't even learned it. So you can't make me forget."

"Whatever. I'll learn them some day. What supplies do we need?" Still irritated, as Zeb pulled out his list Ezra snatched the money satchel that was in his back pocket, putting it in his own.

"Melons, bananas, apples, meats, and sugar, new cloth for stitching, leather, a locking mechanism, nuts, bolts, and screws, a stock of fuel, and, oh, that was it. Sabine wants new paint but-"

Ezra interrupted. "But you will _get_ her new paint. You know how much hell we went through the _last time_ we ran out and you refused to get her some?"

Zeb paused. "I'm getting her new paint."

"Good Lasat."

Zeb turned to Ezra with a look of anger on his face. "What did you just call me!" he demanded.

"Uh oh!" Ezra yelled, and turned on his heel.

"You get back here!" Zeb shouted, taking chase after the teen.

Ezra was fast and was able to weave in and out of marketers, but Zeb was equally as fast, pushing people out of the way and shoving them down. "You little Loth-rat!" he shouted. "Pipsqueak! You're going to pay for that!" Zeb tripped over a market stand. "Whoa!"

The Twi'lek who owned it glared down at him. "And _you_ will be paying, for _this._ " She gestured around her.

"What-! But, I only have so much money…!"

"And _I_ only have so much product." She held an expectant hand out for the money.

 _Uh oh._

Zeb reached behind him to feel an empty pocket.

Ezra ducked behind a stand.

" _EZ-R-A!_ "

The Twi'lek gave Zeb a doubtful look.

"My stupid friend thought it was funny to pickpocket me!"

She shook her head. "Whatever. I guess I can make another stand. None of my products are ruined, luckily. Don't come crashing through here again."

Zeb nodded, standing and brushing himself off, before scanning the market.

The teen stood with a shaky breath. He caught Zeb's eyes almost immediately. Within a couple of seconds the Lasat had barreled over to him. "I'm going to _kill_ you and so is Hera and Kanan! If you spent _any_ of that money…!"

"I didn't, I didn't! Whoa! Here, here it is." Ezra quickly handed it back.

" _Good._ Get back to the ship! I'm doing this by myself."

"Okay," Ezra said, and slinked away, grateful to get away from the Lasat's wrath.

He walked back the way he'd come, knowing just how mad Hera would be at him for swiping the money, even if he hadn't actually bought anything for himself with it. He knew how scarce it was, especially when it came their crew.

Ezra heard a snarl behind him, and he whirled around, startled out of his thoughts. He pulled his blaster as he turned, noting that he was only about 300 yards from the _Ghost_. He could run it if he needed to.

But in an instant he realized he wouldn't have to, recognizing what had made the snarl.

It was a Loth-cat.

Even though he didn't like them, he knew they weren't awfully vicious unless provoked.

Thinking about what Kanan had done during training and still feeling in a prankish mood, he knelt and stuck his hand out. It sniffed and snuffled angrily and suspiciously, creeping up to him. Without warning, he scooped it up, holding it tight despite its angry yowls.

"Sorry Loth-cat! You're coming with me!"

It snapped at his face and hands, but he ignored it, jogging back to the _Ghost_ and making it back in record time, just under three minutes. Looking around for Chopper and not seeing him, he ran up the ramp and towards Kanan and Hera's room.

The smell of paint told Ezra that Sabine was in her own room, and he quickly walked over to Kanan's room. He knew he only had a few minutes. Mutely, the teen opened the door to his master's room and dropped the Loth-cat into it, quickly shutting the door.

"Where do I go now…?" He wondered aloud. _I guess I could go to the medical bay, hole up there. Good sized vent in there if I need to hide._ He thought to himself, and walked to the room, prepared for the trouble he was going to get into.

Kanan sighed as he looked at the controls.

Hera rested a hand on his shoulder. "You're exhausted, love. You need to take a nap. There's nothing to do for the moment. I'll wake you if something's wrong."

Kanan paused before responding. "Alright, alright."

"Thank you. I'm tired just looking at you."

"I guess." Kanan got up with a grunt.

"Have a good nap." Hera said, taking her seat in the helm.

Kanan gave a half awake salute, and staggered out of the cockpit, walking down the stairs and into the hallway. "Wow, I really shouldn't stay up for 23 hours in a row." He muttered to himself as he walked, his voice like gravel in his throat. Within a minute, he was at his door. He slid the metal open, struggling for a moment, before stepping in and falling onto his bed, still clothed. The Jedi didn't even have the chance to close the door before he was asleep.

Kanan was asleep for two hours when something woke him up. He wasn't sure what at first, but heavy footsteps on the metal down the hallway made him realize it must have been Zeb, which meant his padawan wasn't far behind. He woke up further when he realized there was a pressure on his chest, his eyes cracking open. To find a mass of fur and teeth sitting on his chest, rising and falling with his breaths. At first he didn't move, didn't say anything, too afraid of provoking it.

And then it started to chitter, a laughing, gargling, high pitched wail.

Kanan lost it.

"Ah!" He jerked his body, swatting it off him and kicking out, his legs entangling in his blanket as he brought his arms to his face. "Ah! Get it out!"

Hera was the first to run into the room, Zeb close behind her, looking equally as worried. It was him who snatched the jabbering Loth-cat off of his friend.

"Are you okay?!" Hera asked.

"I think, yeah!" He shook himself off, swinging his legs off the bed and planting his feet on the ground. "How the hell did that get in there?"

"I think I know." Zeb muttered.

"How?"

"Ezra. He didn't look happy with you and come on, he's pulled this stuff before."

Hera's face turned dark. " _Ezra Brigard!"_

Ezra heard his name and jerked in surprise, fear lancing through his chest. Hera rarely used his full name. He raced into the hallway where she was waiting. When she turned to him, he saw how mad she was, face like thunder, voice like a lightning strike.

"Ezra! Do you want to explain to me what happened!"

"I, okay, I'm sorry, it was a joke. It wasn't like I was going to spend it or anything, I didn't really expect Zeb to ruin a stand I mean he was the one chasing me."

"What are you talking about! What did Zeb break and _what_ did you steal!"

"I, I mean… I meant…"

"Don't try lying to me Ezra. What did Zeb break and what in this universe did you steal!"

"Zeb said he was gonna blackmail me and I swiped his money and I said good Lasat and he chased me and crashed into a stand and broke it and sent me back here…!"

"And on the way you picked up a Loth-cat and put it in Kanan's room."

"Yea-What are you talking about?" Ezra caught himself far too late.

Hera leveled him with a glare.

"Um, yeah… I did."

"Well thank you for telling me what _Zeb_ did."

"Awww come on!" came his reply, grating against the metal as it bounced down the hall.

" _Zeb!_ Don't make me lose my patience!"

"Coming Hera!" He clomped down the hall. "Yeah…?"  
"You're going to go back to the market and set that stand back up."

"The pipsqueak ratted on me!" Zeb exclaimed.

"He thought I already told you."

"Erza naps in the vents when he's supposed to be cleaning them!"

"Oh _does he now_."

"Zeb!" Ezra waffled.

"I told you I'd use it."

"Thanks for telling me but you're _still_ fixing the stand. And _Ezra_ , _you_ are cleaning the vents and exhaust chambers."

"Aww!"

"What about the Loth-cat!" Zeb protested.

"Oh, that's already been taken care of." Hera's eyes went to their room.

"Come on that's not fair to me!" The Lasat half shouted.

"Don't worry, I only put it on Ezra's bunk."

"Wha-" Ezra began, and felt his face go red. "I'm getting rid of that thing before take off."

"Good. Now get to work on your chores before bed!"

"Yes Hera…" He muttered, walking to the control center. Zeb bumped into him as he walked by.

"Lasat," the teen muttered.

"Pipsqueak."


End file.
